Page 268 - 《孟子》（三）中·英对照版
P. 268
?孟
子
A man of Ren asked the disciple Wulu, saying,
“Is an observance of the rules of propriety in regard
to eating, or eating merely, the more important?”
The answer was, “The observance of the rules
of propriety is the more important.”
“Is the gratifying the appetite of sex, or the
doing so only according to the rules of propriety, the
more important?”
The answer again was, “The observance of the
rules of propriety in the matter is the more important.”
The man pursued, “If the result of eating only
according to the rules of propriety will be death by
starvation, while by disregarding those rules we may
get food, must they still be observed in such a case?
If according to the rule that he shall go in person to
meet his wife a man cannot get married, while by
disregarding that rule he may get married, must he
still observe the rule in such a case?”
Wulu was unable to reply to these questions,
246
